Direct Evidence for Solid-like Hydrogen in a Nanoporous Carbon Hydrogen Storage Material at Supercritical Temperatures

Valeska P. Ting, Anibal J. Ramirez-Cuesta, Nuno Bimbo, Jessica E. Sharpe, Antonio Noguera-Diaz, Volker Presser, Svemir Rudic, Timothy J. Mays

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

55 Scopus citations

Abstract

(Graph Presented). Here we report direct physical evidence that confinement of molecular hydrogen (H2) in an optimized nanoporous carbon results in accumulation of hydrogen with characteristics commensurate with solid H2 at temperatures up to 67 K above the liquid-vapor critical temperature of bulk H2. This extreme densification is attributed to confinement of H2 molecules in the optimally sized micropores, and occurs at pressures as low as 0.02 MPa. The quantities of contained, solid-like H2 increased with pressure and were directly evaluated using in situ inelastic neutron scattering and confirmed by analysis of gas sorption isotherms. The demonstration of the existence of solid-like H2 challenges the existing assumption that supercritical hydrogen confined in nanopores has an upper limit of liquid H2 density. Thus, this insight offers opportunities for the development of more accurate models for the evaluation and design of nanoporous materials for high capacity adsorptive hydrogen storage.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)8249-8254
Number of pages6
JournalACS Nano
Volume9
Issue number8
DOIs
StatePublished - Aug 25 2015

Funding

FundersFunder number
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research CouncilEP/L018365/1, EP/J016454/1, EP/E040071/1, EP/K021109/1

    Keywords

    • carbon
    • hydrogen storage
    • nanoporous materials
    • neutron scattering

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